Sunday, April 11, 2010
George W. Bush Faces War Crimes Charges in Premiere of Blessing's 'When We Go Upon the Sea'
Yahoo! News: "Conan McCarty plays former U.S. President George W. Bush in the April 9-May 9 Philadelphia world premiere of Lee Blessing's When We Go Upon the Sea, which imagines the leader charged with international war crimes."
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4 comments:
This is a very interesting idea for a show. Considering how much of a divide our nation felt under President Bush, it is only fitting that this idea of "what could have been" pan out, and what better way to portray it than through the arts. I also like how this is theater that takes a risk, and in some ways, pushes the limits of what you can do to criticize a man who is still alive, and as our president, deserves some respect simply because of the office he held. At the same time, I think it is important to show this alternate reality, which for some, believe should be something that takes place in the future.
This article seems to describe a very interesting show. It sounds like it might show a difficult concept - a human story that isn't afraid to criticize but allows us enough sympathy to understand the characters. Even if we categorically disapprove of what they did, understanding what brought them to that place might reveal broader societal issues - the ground from which such unfortunate people grow.
This sounds like a really interesting play. I wish they would have talked a little more about it, instead of just expounding on the well-known people involved, but I guess with a tag line like that, you have to add some legitimacy to a play with such subject matter. More and more political-driven plays featuring contemporary characters are popping up, and you have to wonder if they will ever be reproduced in 20 or 30 years.
I would definitely like to catch a performance of this play. It's really quite amazing that we live in a country where we are allowed to criticize our leaders so openly through art. I just hope that this play is not completely one-sided; I'm not a fan of the man, but I feel that there is definitely not a lack of straight-up Bush-bashing in the world. Although I doubt this play would change my opinion, it would still be interesting to explore the issues of Bush's administration.
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